When I first became your MLA, many people asked me if it felt like I was drinking from a fire hose, referring to the bombardment of information, and learning that I must be experiencing. In truth, a summer of community events and BBQs in the Alberta sunshine felt like sipping trickling water out of a fountain in comparison to the last month.
In my last weeks before heading into the legislature, I made a trip up to Bottrel in the very north-east corner of our riding. What a neat little spot! The Bottrel general store, surrounded by fine cattle and ranching lands, is the oldest general store in continuous operation in Alberta. I also met with a sheep farmer and landowner in the area. With that, I had managed to connect with every community and section in our riding. It was a busy, but extremely fun summer meeting with folks and chatting about your priorities and concerns.
I learn every day on this job and most of that learning comes from each you. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me, meet me, share a burger under bluebird Alberta skies, or enjoy a coffee together. Meeting you is the best part of this job!
We started in the legislature on October 30 and it’s a been whirlwind of activity, learning, and debating ever since. The first week in the legislature, I had two questions in Question Period to the Minister of Energy about coal exploration and development along the Eastern Slopes. Question Period is a chaotic, rapid fire 50 minutes every day we’re in session, and I love it. The opportunity to stand and champion the needs of folks in our riding fills me with pride and I have many other questions in the queue. I look forward to holding our government accountable and making sure they are serving your needs.
In that first week, I also delivered my inaugural speech. The inaugural speeches are for new MLAs to describe their riding and its people. I loved listening to all the MLA speeches, and it reminded me how we are all in this room because we love where we live and have a deep desire to serve the people of our ridings. It is the thing that binds us all in the legislature, regardless of party lines or community of residence or professional background.
If you’d like to see my questions in QP, or my inaugural speech, clips have been posted to my Facebook page (Sarah Elmeligi – Banff-Kananaskis NDP). You can also find them on Alberta Legislature You Tube’s channel.
There has already been ten new Bills introduced in the legislature this fall session. Experiencing and being a part of how laws are discussed, debated, and passed or rejected is most interesting. I have participated in the debates for Bill 4: Tax Statutes Amendment Act and Bill 2: Alberta Pension Protection Act.
Bill 4 involved several changes to various tax or levy related acts. We supported this bill overall that extends the fuel tax pause and stipulates changes to the tourism levy act to ensure more equity for businesses and short-term rental hosts. I stood to champion the need that the tourism levy be used to fund destination marketing organizations, strategic tourism planning, and working with communities.
I have heard concern from many of you about the switch to an Alberta Pension Plan. Bill 2 sets the stage for an Alberta Pension Plan. There are so many things wrong with this and it’s been abundantly clear that Albertans don’t want to move to an Alberta Pension Plan. We will continue to fight this bill and any move to create an Alberta Pension Plan.
These past few weeks and into December, I’ve modified my “MLA on tour” to entail visiting every holiday market in our riding. Wow. We have so many amazing, talented, creative people selling so many different things. It has been so nice to fill my family’s holiday stockings with locally made goods and to buy locally made ornaments for the tree in our office. Drop by our office and check it out anytime during business hours or make an appointment to meet with me or Sean and have a chat.
As this will be my last MLA update in 2023, I wish you and yours a happy holiday season. I hope you eat too much food, have too many laughs with family and friends, and enjoy our great outdoors with the people (and dogs or horses or other furry beasts) you love.
Sarah Elmeligi
